US retailer Target to support 6 Indian startups

Bengaluru– Minneapolis, US-based retailer Target Corporation on Tuesday selected six Indian startups as part of its “Accelerator Programme” that gives companies the opportunity to implement their solutions in real-world scenarios and measure the results in real time.

A shopping cart is seen in a Target store in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid – RC16D53BC960

The selected startups will be part of a four-month intensive programme focused on transformative and technology-driven ideas to create solutions for today’s rapidly changing retail environment, the company said in a statement.

The startups selected will work on developing customised retail solutions using emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), computer vision, natural language processing and analytics, it added.

These startups will have access to Target mentors, tools, resources and operational support — as well as workspace at Target’s Bengaluru offices.

“Over the last couple of years, India has become a superpower driving innovation in the retail sector across the globe,” said Rakesh Mishra, Vice President of Marketing at Target India.

The Target Accelerator Programme was launched in December 2013.

The selected startups for the sixth batch of the programme are Kenome, Point105-AR, Quilt.ai, Moodboard, Eder.ai and StyleDod.

Kenome uses AI to help enterprises make sense of dark data using deep learning, natural language processing and knowledge graphs.

Our mission is to open a channel for greater connectivity between marketers across the United States and influential members of the dynamic South Asian/Asian Indian community, to serve as a catalyst for the market overall, and enable advertisers to effectively penetrate this high-potential consumer segment.